


Part I: Defiance

by kalianna



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:47:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23245750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalianna/pseuds/kalianna
Summary: Infiltrating the Brotherhood was the easy part. But taking them down one by one from the inside proved more difficult than she'd thought once Kayla realized her morals aligned better with the Brotherhood than her previous faction. And their illustrious and lonely leader, Elder Maxson, was getting inside her head more than she ever could have planned for. Slow burn Maxson/OC.Justifies Maxson's negative and angry view on the world, and explores a change in how he looks at things because of one difficult and annoying young woman who's infiltrated his ranks.
Relationships: Arthur Maxson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: There's a lot of things at work, and the objective is to learn about the characters as the story develops. Somethings will remain a secret or unexplained for a reason! Enjoy! :)

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
PREFACE

Kayla watched, critically, from the shadows of the ruined building as a vertibird coasted above them.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” her companion asked.

Kayla’s startling blue eyes met his, a hint of ferociousness and confidence gleaming in them that he had seen many times before. “Yes, I’m ready,” she replied simply.

“Alright, then. The time and place is set. Make sure you get there early and get yourself set up.” 

“I’ll be there,” Kayla said, watching the vertibird disappear into the clouds.

“Good luck, Alpha,” the masked man said, speaking her code name.

Kayla watched as Deacon disappeared into the shadows, hoping she was making the right decision.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 1 – THE INFILTRATION

300 feet southeast of Red Rocket Truckstop, 0700 hours.

Kayla repeated the mantra in her head as she rounded the hill top just west of Red Rocket. The game was set, and the prey was ripe for the picking. She crouched near some brush and waited for the moment to become reality. As if on que, Nora Hilton’s silhouette appeared along the roadway between Red Rocket and Sanctuary, a sloppy shadow darting back and forth in front of her. Her companion, dogmeat.

He sensed something was amiss immediately - and that’s when the diversion began. A group of raiders attacked seemingly from no where, pouring out of the trees in a movement not far from the way feral ghouls slunk around.

Kayla sprung into action, sprinting to close the distance between herself and Nora, rapidly pulling arrows from the casing on her back as she took the raiders down with ease. Clean shots, she mused, all through their necks. A bow and arrow was her specialty, after all. And as soon as it started, it was already over. The remaining raiders scattered upon the bloodshed of their compatriots, screaming curses about being set up. They probably had been, because Kayla couldn’t imagine they’d have gone into this battle knowing they would be picked off.

But raiders were stupid, and all they cared about were caps. And Deacon was a convincing liar, so god only knows what he had told them was waiting for them on the other side.

Nora was disheveled by the time Kayla reached her, but only minorly injured with a few scrapes and bruises. With wide eyes, she immediately thanked the blonde-haired stranger for her help. So trusting, Kayla thought, and so far out of touch with this world. 

“Are you alright?” Kayla asked, pretending to be out of breath.

“Yes! Thanks to you, that is. They came out of nowhere!” Nora floundered with her breath, trying to catch it. She had such soft facial characteristics that didn’t fit in with this world. And the orange brotherhood flight suit certainly wasn’t doing her any favors.

“Do you need any medical assistance?” Kayla prodded, feigning compassion. 

“No, no.. I think I’m alright. I’m just headed over to a settlement not far from here.” Nora replied.

“Oh, okay…” Kayla paused, trying to figure out how to get an invitation to tag along with her. People skills were not her strong suit, though Deacon had tried fruitlessly to teach her how to lie with ease.

It hadn’t really worked. At all.

“It’s a safe place where you can rest, if you’d like to accompany me. The minutemen could always use someone with your combat skills,” Nora suggested warmly.

Well, that was a lot easier than she had thought.

“Sure, I’d love to,” Kayla said through a lipped smile. 

Dogmeat kept a fast pace ahead of them, and gave Kayla a wide birth. Dogs and her never mixed well given her history. 

“So… minutemen, huh? Thought you might’ve been brotherhood with that suit you’re wearing,” Kayla prodded as the two of them walked onwards towards Sanctuary Hills. 

She was both, Kayla answered in her own thoughts. General of the Minutemen and Knight in the Brotherhood of Steel. 

But Nora was less forthcoming with information than she thought she would be, dismissively saying that she just helped whoever needed it most.

Interesting, that she felt the need to hide what factions she sided with. Perhaps she wasn’t as stupid as Kayla had originally thought.

As the two of them reached the guarded gates of Sanctuary Hills, they were warmly greeted by settlers and guards alike. No one gave Kayla a second glance, and so she had to assume it was normal for Nora to regularly bring people into settlements. Which would make sense, with the growing number and power of the minutemen day by day. 

Nora showed her around, explaining where things were: one house contained working showers (though how they got running water was a mystery to her), another was a greenhouse, another was set up with segregated sleeping rooms. Kayla had to admit she was impressed with the organized layout, but it came as no surprise; she studied long and hard all details of Nora’s life before accepting this mission.

Kayla stuck by Nora’s side, resisting the urge to roll her eyes or sigh every time Nora went about explaining little details about the crops they were growing or how they purified their water.

Pretending to be interested in everything she was saying.

And it was exhausting.

Eventually, Nora showed her to a room with two individual beds. Dingy, but nicer than what the Church had to offer with their dusty floor mattresses. They conversed for a little, about random things, mostly just about the settlement.

But Kayla knew better than to be content with what Nora was offering her. She knew she was trying to get her to settle down here, and that wasn’t the mission.

“I feel like, I need to do more with my life. Have a place, and a purpose. And being a farm hand just isn’t for me. I don’t know, like, I want to take down the Institute. Do something great for the commonwealth. Make a name for myself,” Kayla explained as the two laid in their beds. 

Nora turned her head, observing the blonde-haired girl as she stared at the ceiling. She was a little abrasive, but kind enough. And strong-willed. 

Nora smiled, turning her own head to stare at the ceiling.

“I think I know someone you should talk to.” She said. “We’ll head to the Cambridge Police Station at dawn.” 

Kayla smiled to herself. 

This was the beginning of it all.

She was in.


	2. Chapter 2: THE TIN CANS SPEAK

14 DAYS BEFORE THE INFILTRATION  
\------------------------------------------

“D?” Kayla asked, leaning against his shoulder. The two of them had just finished going back through Slocum Joe’s for the third time, making sure they hadn’t left behind any important documents. 

“What’s up, little she-wolf?” 

“Be honest,” she said, turning her face towards him, “and I know that’s difficult for you. How do you really think this whole Brotherhood nonsense is gonna go down?” 

He reached up, pushing a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “For someone so aggressive and confident, you sure seem worried about all of this.” 

“Worried about infiltrating a heavily armed and dangerous military group? Yeah, how odd of me,” she snarked, pushing his hand away from her.

“Ain’t nothing to get your panties in a twist about. You’re a cold-blooded killer. Use that to your advantage,” he said simply.

Deacon could never just directly answer a question. And it shouldn’t have surprised Kayla that he avoided this one too. 

“And what am I supposed to do if they find out, huh? If they find out that I’m…” Kayla gulped at the thought.

Deacon just chuckled. “How would they know? Test your blood to see if you were really human? Come on, Alpha.” Deacon started poking at her skin with his finger. “Feel and look pretty human to me! As human as they come!” 

Kayla rolled her eyes, shoving him off. “It’s not funny! Seriously, D, we can’t joke around about this shit.” 

“Relax little she-wolf, ain’t none of them are smart enough to realize your DNA is a little tweaked. Pretty sure they have bigger things to worry about than looking at your blood under a microscope.” 

Kayla glared at him, annoyed. “You’re an asshole.” 

Deacon pulled his sunglasses down just enough to wink before pushing them back up his face. “So are you, sweetie. That’s why we’re a perfect match.”   
\---------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 2 – THE TIN CANS SPEAK

Nora and Kayla had gotten to the Cambridge Police Station without much hassle – they’d briefly run into a couple super mutants, but Kayla was a near perfect shot, and the battle was over within a couple minutes. 

As they had walked, Nora had explained a couple of things: first, that she was a Knight in the Brotherhood. Yeah, no shit, Kayla had thought in response. 

Second, proper decorum was a necessity. Kayla already knew that would be a problem. She was used to being a leader, not a follower, and taking orders and not swearing every six seconds would be a challenge if she ever knew one.

But she’d practiced with Deacon. Being patient, being yelled at, being forced to do things she didn’t want to.

It went well for the most part.

‘Till she shot him in the foot when he told her to get on her knees and scrub his boots. 

But all in all, that was an improvement considering some of the reactions she’s had in the past.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

“Paladin Danse!” Nora called to a tin can making his rounds at the front of the station.

“Knight Hilton,” he greeted, removing his helmet to speak more clearly. “I trust your mission was successful.” 

“It was, but it wasn’t without help. This is Kayla,” Nora gestured to the tiny blonde next to her. “She helped me out with a group of raiders, and I think she would make a great addition to our team.” 

“You don’t have the authority to make that call, Knight,” he replied gruffly. Then he turned his attention to Kayla, sizing her up. “You don’t look like much.” 

Kayla grimaced. “Well looks can be deceiving,” she said. Asshole, she wanted to say, but bit her tongue.

“Which is why I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt,” Danse said simply. “I’ll give you a test, and watch how you perform under pressure. Make sure you have any ammo and supplies you might need, and then let me know when you’re ready to head out.” 

“Head out where?” She asked.

“You’ll find out.” He glared

“Well I’m ready now, so...” 

Danse looked doubtfully at the petite blonde with little to no armor. She had a sword strapped to her back, and a quiver of arrows with a bow. He wasn’t about to let her die under her watch, but…it wouldn’t surprise him if she did.

“Let’s move out, then.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------

The “test” as it had turned out, was clearing out College Square. Literally just killing feral ghouls. Kayla wasn’t even quite sure how this was a test, because it had been so easy.

But then she remembered not everyone had the same skill for killing as she did.

And so, within an hour of arriving at the station, she’d been given the rank of Initiate. She was about to give Danse a hard time about not making her a Knight, because she thought it would’ve been funny to see the look on his face, until he launched right into a speech about respecting her superiors.

A very long, and very detailed speech.

It was clear he saw right through her bullshit and picked it up from the first conversion they’d had.

But she was an incredibly skilled fighter, and Danse was shocked at the way she had basically danced through battling the ghouls. Graceful and gifted. And an attitude could be fixed, he’d decided. 

He was just hoping she would keep her mouth shut through the first meeting with Elder Maxson. 

But, as he would come to learn, Kayla was a very difficult and strong-willed woman.

And she would disrespect Maxson the first time she met him.


	3. Tumbling Down the Walls

Kayla knew what the Predwyn looked like. 

At least she thought she did. She'd studied complex maps and drawings that the railroad had gathered over the last couple months, but nothing compared to seeing it up close.

It was nauseating. 

Disgusting.

Deplorable.

Kayla's stomach churned the entire ride on the vertibird, and seeing the Predwyn, towering above the airport, made her feel even sicker. She hated heights.

She hated, hated, hated heights.

She was on the fence between already asking if she could be stationed down at the airport, and seeing her mission through properly.

Kayla, Nora, and the tin can departed the vertibird onto the flight deck, only to be greeted by a dark skinned man walking the narrow pathway. His eyes honed in on Kayla, narrowing in disapproval the second he saw her outfit: it was little more than leather booty shorts and a leather halter crop-top - miscellaneous (and quite frankly, seemingly useless) weapons attached to her back. How the outfit provided her any protection in the wasteland at all was a mystery. Kells' patience with Danse's weird choices in recruits was wearing very thin. First, the vault dweller, and now...this?

"Lancer Captain Kells," Danse greeted. "This is my new recruit, Kayla." 

Kells tried to not let his disapproval show on his face as he turned to the girl.

"I see," he stated simply.

Kayla, on the other hand, didn't bother hiding her expression. Anger and annoyance flooded her features.

"Elder Maxson is on the command deck. Why don't you bring her in for her first meeting with him." Kells spoke directly to Danse, not even bothering with the Initiate. He figured it would be best for Elder Maxson to break her down and send her scurrying back to whatever bar she crawled out of.

"Understood, LC," Danse glanced back at Kayla, "Let's go then. And for the love of god don't say anything stupid." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Being inside the Predwyn at least made Kayla feel a little less nauseous. Upon entering, Nora disappeared up a ladder, while Danse led her to what she assumed was the aforementioned command deck, where a man in a leather coat stood staring out the windows in front of them. He turned towards the duo as they entered.

Kayla's heart almost stopped. She had to stop herself from gawking at the man before her. This was Elder Maxson? She'd pegged him to be, for one, much older, and two, a lot uglier.

And he was neither of those things.

The man was drop dead gorgeous. Straight out of a magazine. And those muscles? God help her, her knees felt weak. But she straightened her shoulders and walked up to him anyway, not afraid of a challenge. Danse gave yet another lame introduction about her being a new Initiate, but surprisingly Maxson didn't give her the same disapproving look she'd gotten from almost every soldier in the Brotherhood thus far. 

"Initiate Kayla," he said, a deep and reverberating noise that nearly left her breathless. Even his voice was stunning. 

"Mhmm?" she asked, lips pursed.

His eyes narrowed. "What are your intentions in joining the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Become famous," she replied, rocking on her heels. Mocking. "Take down the Institute, decapitate the synths running rampant. You know, the whole nine yards." 

Maxson's nostrils flared. He knew not to judge a book by it's covered, but the minute she spoke she had that taken away. His intense stare turned to Danse. Was this a joke?

Danse's cheeks flared red in embarrassment. "I apologize for her behavior in advance, Elder Maxson. She's exceptional in combat, in a way I have yet to see in a lot of our soldiers," Danse turned his glare on to Kayla, "but we're working on her attitude. Once we overcome it, I believe she would make an incredible addition to us." 

"Then you better work on it fast, because my patience is about to run out," Maxson huffed, turning back to Kayla.

The girl was wearing basically nothing. And where in this godforsaken wasteland had she gotten a tattoo? Let alone one that ran down the entire length of her arm. 

"If you'd like to remain in the Brotherhood, I'd suggest getting a fast familiarity with addressing your superiors a little more graciously next time."

But then she smiled. A beautiful, incredibly white smile that was uncommon to the wasteland. Perhaps she was another vault dweller, he mused. But the smile wasn't friendly.

It was predatory. Testing. Biting back what she really wanted to say, he could tell. 

"I'll get right on that, then," she said sweetly.

No apology, not even a hint of respect for his title. If his eyes could narrow any further they would be closed. 

"Consider this my apology then," the predatory smile was back. "My attitude is a small price to pay for the results that I can give." 

"That remains to be seen," Maxson said through his teeth. "Until then, I expect you to learn some manners. You're both dismissed." 

\--------------------------------

Maxson's fingers curled angrily around the railing of the command deck. The nerve of that initiate was infuriating. It wasn't the first time he'd had disrespectful soldiers among his midst, and it wouldn't be the last. But it wasn't common, either. Most people either feared him or loved him because of the power of his last name. The girl wasn't intimidated at all by him.

And that got under his skin. 

She would either learn fast, or be thrown off the flight deck by himself.

But as he would come to know, she would only crawl further under his skin, and become more daring in her choice of words with him. And he wouldn't kick her out for it.


End file.
